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JOHN GUMMERE. 






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MEMOEIALS 

OP 

THE LIFE AND CHARACTER 

OF 

JOHN GUMMERE. 

BY WM. J. ALLINSON. 

An unlooked for dispensation of Providence has created a 
6eep sensation in many hearts. An intelligent existence has 
been translated out of Time — hut he has not w passed away 
like a shadow — or as a post that passeth by — or as when a 
bird hath flown through the air and there is no token of her 
way to be found" — nor is his memory on earth, "as the re- 
membrance of a guest that tarrieth but a day." The wisest 
of mere men has said, "to be allied unto Wisdom is immor- 
tality." And again he says, " by the means of her I shall 
obtain immortality, and leave behind me an everlasting memo- 
rial to them that come after me." Neither is the grief which 
attends his departure from this present world, confined to the 
poignant anguish of a large and affectionate family circle, 
whose wound can only be alleviated by thermost merciful hand 
which inflicted it ; nor to the youths who, while they revered 
him as their Preceptor, honoured him as a Father ; nor to the 
particular community in the midst of whom, the pale but to 
him enchanting angel of death, found him with his lamp trim- 
med and burning. A teacher for more than 40 years, he had, 
in one sense, children from nearly all the States in this Union, 
and from " isles afar off" — and these have gone forth into the 
wide world to fulfil their destiny, enriched and ennobled by 
his wisdom and his counsels. Many of them had been, for 
numerous successive years, far from their kindred, regarding him 
as a kind and faithful parent, dependant on his care, and some 
of them on his bounty, and such was the filial confidence which 
he uniformly inspired, that it may well be doubted whether 
there were any among all his disciples, in whom love to him 
did not amount to a principle, and almost to a passion. When 
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they had grown from the dependence of children and pupils, to 
the equality which manhood gives, and had entered into com- 
petition with him as intellectual existences, the affection and 
reverence of the boy, had ripened and deepened into that abi- 
ding respect which is the permanent and willing tribute paid 
to wisdom and worth. They have twined his memory around 
their hearts, — -they have taught his name to their children; ma- 
ny of them have followed to the grave his mortal remains, 
and, as the winged messengers of the public press convey to 
their respective and widely scattered abodes, the information that 
his kindly heart has ceased to beat, and his lips to utter wis- 
dom, their eyes will be moistened, their hearts will be saddened 
with a sense of bereavement, at the extinguishment of the 
cherished hope, to feel once more the dear pressure of his 
hand, and to see lighted for themselves once more his smile 
of welcome greeting, illuminated by a heart which was a 
stranger to insincerity. 

Nor does the sensation rest here. He was valued and hon- 
ored by that class, whom an elegant writer calls "the elect 
spirits of the age — whose verdict is prophecy, and whose ap- 
plause is fame." The gifted minds with whom such as these 
can commune, relative to matters of high learning and science, 
"the beginning, ending, and the midst of times; the alterations 
of the turnings of the sun, the change of seasons, the circuits 
of years, and the positions of stars;" are comparatively few, 
and the departure of one of these, though beautiful as the going 
down of the world's luminary, is mourned by those who, dwell- 
ing in heights to which mere wealth or rank could no more 
find access, than could a camel through a needle's eye, are 
"privy to the mysteries of the knowledge of God and lovers 
of his works." 

A Christian Church, moreover, has suffered bereavement, 
by his removal to the Church triumphant, in whose beatified 
assembly, we have humble but full confidence, he will stand, 
with harp, and golden vial full of odors, redeemed forever — 
joining in the song which no mortal could learn. 

Such, and so general is the loss sustained. For the decea- 
sed, his pains are ended — he has received his consolation — 
" his record is on high" — and he needs not our praise. The 
voice of Flattery would be most inappropriately applied to one 



who was so humble, so unobtrusive. Yet, though we rear no 
marble monument to mark the spot where his dust returns to 
its elements; as he was no ordinary man, it is meet that 
some written memorial should tell of his attainments and 
his virtues, for there may be instruction even in a cursory no- 
tice of his course through life, and the means by which he at- 
tained to honorable usefulness. 

John Gummere was born near Willow Grove, Pennsylva- 
nia, in the year 1784, with none of those external advantages 
which give a pledge of distinction. His parents were pious, 
industrious, but poor. He had no other opportunities of 
education than those afforded by the most common country 
schools, at a time when these schools were far below their pre- 
sent standard, a standard which, we may safely say, he has 
materially aided in elevating. Rarely was any thing more at- 
tempted in them, than the acquirement of Reading, Writing 
and Arithmetic, and in these branches only he received in- 
struction till the age of 19. Yet at quite an early age he had 
fully mastered Arithmetic ; and it should be here noted, that 
his father was a very remarkable Arithmetician, and could 
solve any problem which could be solved by mere Arithmetic, 
— beyond which he had never gone. At an early age, (per- 
haps 13 years) he commenced, by himself, the study of Mathe- 
matics, and, without any other aid than that of books, made 
himself master of Algebra, Mensuration, Geometry, Trigonom- 
etry, Surveying and practical Astronomy. When 19 years 
old, he commenced his life time career in the important avoca- 
tion of a teacher, by accepting the care of a country school at 
Horsham, Pa. After teaching six or nine months, he went as 
pupil to Friends' Boarding School at West Town, and was six 
months under the tuition of Enoch Lewis, for whom he always 
cherished sentiments of respect and affection. He then went 
to Rancocas, in Burlington county, New Jersey, where he 
taught a school about six years, during which time he married. 
In the year 1811 he went to West Town as a Teacher,' where 
the many excellent traits of his character were usefully devel* 
oped, and where, during his tarriance of three years, his ser- 
vices were highly appreciated. In the spring of 1814, he 
opened his Boarding School in Burlington. A teacher of the 
right stamp ranks high as a philanthropist, and pursues his im- 



porlant calling from other than mercenary motives. In the 
carrying on of this establishment, he was utterly regardless of 
pains or expense, when the benefit of those placed under his 
care was to be promoted ; and the writer of this notice has 
known of instances of pupils whom he has schooled, lodged 
and clothed, for years after he had found that there was no 
prospect of remuneration. Truly then may we say, that this 
school was successful, when we know that the advancement 
of learning and the benefit of those confided to his care, formed 
so large a pert of his disinterested motive. No better institu- 
tion of the kind was to be found in the country, and it was pa- 
tronized by parents in most of tlie United States, and in a num- 
ber of the West India Islands. Whilst it is not intended to 
enter into the minutice of his private history, one anecdote may 
here be inserted, as illustrative of his character. Conceiving 
that a benefit would result from regular courses of lectures on 
Natural Philosophy and Chemistry, he proposed that his bro- 
ther, who had joined him in the School, should take the latter, 
while he would take the former branch of Science. His bro- 
ther replied that he had never opened a work on Chemistry. 
»• Neither have I," said he, "on Natural Philosophy." It was 
then objected that they could not obtain the appropriate instru- 
ments and apparatus in this country — " But we can get them," 
said he, "from London." It was suggested that they might 
fail in so making themselves masters of their respective sub- 
jects as to pursue them advantageously. " But we shall not 
fail," said he — "only determine, and the thing is half done." 
An order was sent to London for apparatus, both Philosophical 
and Chemical, a better supply of which was provided for his 
Institution (at an expense of several thousand dollars,) than 
was to be found in any private Institution in the country. — ■ 
The result of this laudable effort is well known to the class for 
whom, mainly, this sketch is written — those who have been 
the pupils of our departed preceptor and friend. These are 
aware that the lectures of the two brothers on the above named 
branches of Science, were eminently calculated to excite, and, 
so far as they went, to satisfy, a laudable thirst for useful 
knowledge. And, although not thrown open to the public, 
these lectures were often resorted to by intelligent citizens, who 
found profit combined with rational pleasure, in availing them- 
selves of the courtesy which was never withheld. 



His school was remarkably well drilled — and kept in order 
without any severity. His power over his pupils was absolute, 
because he ruled alike the judgment and the affections. So 
strong was the sentiment of affection (which we have already 
described as amounting almost to a passion) that he was re- 
peatedly known to quell disaffection by the moral power of a 
grieved look. 

Before he reached the age of 25 years, his reputation as a 
scholar was well established ; and he enjoyed the correspon* 
dence of Robert Adrain, Nathaniel Bowditch, and others of the 
most prominent Mathematicians of the day. He continued ra> 
pidly increasing his stock of mathematical knowledge, up to 
the age of 40 or 45; by which time he confessedly ranked 
among the most prominent Mathematicians of America. Nor 
were his acquirements confined to Mathematics. He had 
made himself master of the French language, and was thus en- 
abled to read all the prominent French Mathematical writers. 
Later in life he made himself acquainted with the German, thus 
obtaining access to much that was valuable in Science, and 
was a subscriber to several scientific periodicals in that lan- 
guage. He also became well versed in Natural Philosophy, 
and physical science generally, and his attainments in general 
literature were respectable. 

Yet all his acquirements were made in the midst of most 
arduous duties, as the head of a large Boarding School estab- 
lishment, duties which were never neglected. He had acquir- 
ed the habit of attention and self-abstraction. His character 
combined remarkable modesty, with the most unbounded en- 
ergy and perseverance. He was never appalled by the ap- 
pearance of labour or difficulties ahead, or deterred by indo- 
lence or doubts of success, from pursuing any object which he 
thought it desirable to accomplish. He could see no difficulty 
in the way when he perceived that any knowledge was desira- 
ble to be acquired for the benefit of his school. 

He was for 31 years a member of the American Philosophi- 
cal Society, and some valuable papers on Astronomical sub- 
jects contributed by him, are preserved in its "Transactions." 
He was also a member of the Philadelphia Academy of Arts 
and Sciences. As illustrating the estimation in which his 
mathematical acquirements were held, it may be mentioned!; 



6 

that he was at one time solicited to accept the chair of Mathe- 
matics in the University of Pennsylvania; but this honour, 
though accompanied by the offer of a liberal compensation, he 
decided after mature deliberation to decline. 

In the year 1825 the degree of Master of Arts was confer- 
red upon him by the New Jersey College at Princeton. His 
well known treatise on the subject of Surveying was first pub- 
lished in 1814, and has run through fourteen large editions, 
and is now stereotyped. It is certainly more extensively 
known, and more highly valued, than any other work on Sur- 
veying. 

His Treatise on theoretical and practical Astronomy, is al- 
so a work of high merit. It has passed through three editions, 
but is not so universally known as "Gummere's Surveying;" 
the Science of Astronomy, sublime and important as it is, be- 
ing less familiar to the many in this utilitarian world, who ap- 
ply to high Science the test question "what is the use," and 
are too apt to reject as impractical, those branches which do not 
to their vision appear evidently subservient to the sordid object 
of their lives, the acquisition of money. These are, and must 
be, strangers to the serene enjoyment of those, who, with him 
whose memory we now pensively commemorate, inhale the 
upper air, from classic heights inaccessible to political ambi- 
tion, in "green pastures" unknown to the worldling's busy 
tread, and beside "still wafers" never ruffled by the strife of 
tongues. So just was the sentiment of Solomon when he de- 
clared that he would repose himself with Wisdom, — "for her 
conversation hath no bitterness." 

It may be added that the last named Treatise (the use of 
which has been within a few years generally extending) is 
employed as the text book in the Military Academy at West 
Point, and others of the best scientific Institutions in the coun- 
try. In the clearness of its explanations, and in the rigid at- 
tention to accuracy which is observable throughout the volume, 
there is evidence that the author had profited by those models 
of rigorous exactness, the works of Lacroix, Delambre, La- 
grange, La Place, &c. It was characterised by an eminent 
Professor in a notice of the second edition, as " the only Ame- 
rican work affording the means for actually performing Astro- 
nomical calculation." In the latest edition, published but a 
few years since, a great part of the work was re-written. 



In both these works he has shown, in the composition of the 
rules &c, his peculiar faculty for adapting himself to the com- 
prehension of all. And in his oral as well as written instruc- 
tions, he avoided the too common error of over-estimating the 
supposed attainments of the pupil. 

At the establishment of Friends' College at Haverford, in 
1833, his weight of character rendered his services desirable; 
and during ten years, in the Mathematical department, and 
most of that time as Principal also, he sustained much of the 
weight of that superior Institution. Here, as during his whole 
life, he exhibited unremitting faithfulness in the performance of 
arduous and responsible duties. Retiring from Haverford with 
an impaired constitution, he resumed his establishment in Bur- 
lington in connection with his eldest son Samuel J. Gummere, 
who is his worthy successor, both in scientific attainments and 
in the happy talent of imparting instruction. Less than this, 
{though eulogy of the living forms no part of our object) it were 
injustice to say, nor ought we to omit expressing the conviction, 
that the Institution is still altogether deserving of the high re- 
putation which it has sustained. 

He was a man of sound discriminating judgment, of pecu- 
liar sensibility, and amiable to an unusual degree, combining a 
rational economy with great liberality of feeling and action. 
These traits were beautifully though unobtrusively manifested, 
in his domestic and social intercourse. He was a good and 
useful citizen, never opposing private interest against public 
benefit. 

The language of the Apostle James applied to him, will 
place his character in just and beautiful relief. "If any man 
offend not in word, the same is a perfect man." One remark- 
able trait in his character, is worthy of being held prominent- 
ly in view as an example to all. It is testified of him, by 
those who knew him most intimately through life, that they 
never heard him, throughout his manhood, speak evil or slight- 
ingly of any one. And, such was his tenderness of the repu- 
tation of others, that he rarely heard an individual spoken 
harshly of without putting in some caveat — mentioning some 
good trait, if the person alluded to was known to him. At 
other times his disapproval was effectually expressed by a look 
which silenced the tongue of slander. If a person incurred 



8 

his disapprobation, his course was, either to lodge the feeling 
in his own breast, or to seek in private, with christian mildness, 
and by arguments amounting to demonstration, to show where- 
in had consisted a departure from right principle. 

To those who knew him best, a beautiful picture is presented 
on a calm review of his life. In his daily walk were illustrated 
well, the christian virtues and the kindred christian graces. He 
was an exemplary and useful member of the Society of Friends, 
and was a firm believer in the Divine mission of him of whom 
he was a humble follower. Theoretically sound in christian 
faith, he by no means rested in the mere assent of his under- 
standing to orthodox doctrines. Making little profession in 
words, his Christianity was acted out, and his faith was one 
"in daily striving 
And performance shewn." 

Let it be remembered by those who revered him, that his 
life was spent in the observance of daily devotion, and a daily 
settlement of his soul's accounts with " the God of the spirits 
of all flesh." And indeed, how else but by near access to the 
throne of Grace, could he have so held in subjection the un- 
ruly member which " no man can tame," and have so regu- 
lated his conduct by the Divine principle of the golden rule? 

Near his close he testified that the important work of prepa- 
ration for the solemn change, had not been left till then — and, 
being thus at peace with his Maker, his spirit was clothed with 
beautiful serenity, when the shades of life's evening closed 
upon him. During the last day of his life, his countenance 
beamed with the cheerfulness of a soul "kept in perfect peace," 
and it was observed that he always spoke with a smile. And, 
when death was upon him, he employed his latest powers of 
voice, in imparting pious counsel to his immediate relati"cs, 
confessing unequivocally his faith in the Saviour and Redeemer 
of men, and his sole dependence on His merits. 

He «« put off mortality" on the 31st of 5th Month (May) 
1845 — in the 61st year of his age. 

His life presents in various respects an instructive example. 
Let us rise from the contemplation of it, impressed with a 
self-application of the injunction, "Go thou and do likewise." 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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An eye that waked while others slept, in deep re- 
pose is sleeping ; — 

The heart a reverent watch which kept, a sabbath 
now is keeping :— 

A soul that loved hie Maker's law, now stands re- 
deemed before him, 

"Day without night" to serve and^praise, while 
countless years rjil o'er him. 

The tongue from which abstrusest lore was heard 
in kindliest tone, 

Tunes the "new song" which Seraphs love, on 
Earth unheard, unknown. 

He watched the dazzling orbs which take their glo- 
rious march thro' space, 

And noted well the smallest star which left its won- 
ted place ; 

The three-fold loss of Hebcui.es, Obion, Perse- 
us, Picis, 

The appalling sweep from Cancer's train, Hydra, 
and Berenicis , 

And shall we see from Friendship's group, from 
Learning's constellation, 

A star of beauty so serene forever leave its station, 

Nor breathe a sigh, nor shed a tear, nor trace me- 
morial fond, 

To tell his course on this side death, and shew his 
hope beyond 1 

Yet vain and needless the attempt ! — when Earth's 
memorials perish, 

The Record Book befor? the Throne his memory 
shall cherish. 

And there, with glowing Seraph throngs in firm 
and blest alliance, 

He looks into the mystDries of higher, holier Sci- 
ence. 

And shall we mourn his transit bright to fadeless 
joyselysian, 

Transplanted from the horoscope which bounds 
our feeble vision, 

And added to the firmament more close around 
the Throne, 

And clustered with the stars of morn, whom Christ 
hath made his ?wn ? 



